Unemployment rate in North Korea
North Korea: Unemployment rate was 3.54 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
3.54
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
127th
of 186 countries
All-time high
3.69
in 2021
All-time low
2.85
in 1991
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in North Korea, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in North Korea stood at 3.54.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in North Korea peaked at 3.69 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.85, in 1991.
North Korea ranks 127th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in North Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.85 | — |
| 1992 | 2.88 | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 2.98 | +3.7% |
| 1994 | 3.09 | +3.8% |
| 1995 | 3.11 | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 3.15 | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 3.25 | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 3.46 | +6.4% |
| 1999 | 3.67 | +6.0% |
| 2000 | 3.65 | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 3.68 | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 3.64 | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 3.67 | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 3.62 | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 3.58 | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 3.55 | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 3.55 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 3.48 | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 3.48 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 3.42 | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 3.52 | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 3.54 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 3.57 | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 3.51 | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 3.52 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 3.57 | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 3.5 | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 3.41 | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 3.44 | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 3.62 | +5.4% |
| 2021 | 3.69 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 3.46 | -6.4% |
| 2023 | 3.46 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 3.54 | +2.2% |
| 2025 | 3.54 | +0.2% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 3.54 is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.43, 80% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 3.54 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.05, 1.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.16 | 2.85 | 3.67 | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.59 | 3.48 | 3.68 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.5 | 3.41 | 3.57 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.55 | 3.46 | 3.69 | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
More work & labour data for North Korea
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 17,790 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 82.13 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 3,871 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 3.56 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 0.555 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 0.3313 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.2604 % change on previous year (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 931.04 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 3,086 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 79.21 (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in North Korea?
- Unemployment rate in North Korea was 3.54 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 3.69 in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.85 in 1991.
- How does North Korea rank for unemployment rate?
- North Korea ranks 127th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).